I checked the status of my disability case online today after I posted here earlier. I still haven't received anything in the mail from either SSA or the atty but on the atty website they stated that they have my hearing date set.

I called and confirmed and my hearing is set for 11-16-12 here in town at the local SSA office at 11:30 am. I will have a phone interview with my attorney on 10-24-12 to prepare and discuss questions. I am excited and scared to death!!!!!!!!!!! Now it is all coming down to the wire. I have waited so long for this and don't know what I'll do if it doesn't go my way.

Anybody have suggestions, tips, words of wisdom or encouragement, please send them my way!! I know I need it and that I deserve it, but migraine is still such a disrespected disease, I don't want to get my hopes up.

I am thinking that I should go to the appt dressed nicely, but as sickly looking as possible. If I look like I worry about my appearance overmuch I might not look like I really need this...

KimbaK wrote:I checked the status of my disability case online today after I posted here earlier. I still haven't received anything in the mail from either SSA or the atty but on the atty website they stated that they have my hearing date set.

I called and confirmed and my hearing is set for 11-16-12 here in town at the local SSA office at 11:30 am. I will have a phone interview with my attorney on 10-24-12 to prepare and discuss questions. I am excited and scared to death!!!!!!!!!!! Now it is all coming down to the wire. I have waited so long for this and don't know what I'll do if it doesn't go my way.

Anybody have suggestions, tips, words of wisdom or encouragement, please send them my way!! I know I need it and that I deserve it, but migraine is still such a disrespected disease, I don't want to get my hopes up.

I am thinking that I should go to the appt dressed nicely, but as sickly looking as possible. If I look like I worry about my appearance overmuch I might not look like I really need this...

K

I was approved for disability. The one thing that stood out to me was that if you have physical issues that are contributing to the migraines, that helps. The other aspect is being consistent with the loss of quality of life, nothing is more important than this point getting across. The inability to finish graduate school for me, to work or to even be able to make friends was huge for me. Migraine took my life away and that is what must be understood, the constant debilitating pain for a disease/condition of which there is no cure. My desire to die was there as well, I was honest about that. The pain was and at times is still so bad that I don't want to live anymore.

Secondly, the pain and the prejudices that we experience when needing strong pain medication to kill the monster. I said this, if a person comes to the ER with an amputation, there is no problem, they will get the morphine. Why? Because we can "see" a physical reason for the amount of pain they are in. If a migrainuer comes in with the same level of pain, a debate insues about whether that poor souls needs relief or not. A migraine is like an amputation in the brain, the pain is unseen by outsiders but the impact is just as bad.

That is one of my biggest complaints. Just because our illness is not clearly physically visible, who the &*%^ has the right to deny that I am in pain. And why do people feel the need to judge others? I am having a rough day and feeling whiney right now. I have a migraine, although it is not as intense as before the procedure it is still there. This is one of the mood swing migraines where I want to cry or yell. My family "just doesn't understand why this is happening" after I got the procedure. And I'm losing my patience. I keep giving the same answer to the question.

My migraines are not the result of only one trigger. No one single medication can effectively treat the migraines 100% of the time. No one particular treatment can or will eliminate the disease. I have different triggers and different types/levels of pain. While addressing one trigger can result in better pain management it doesn't eliminate the other iissues.

This is indeed the biggest problem. What the judge is trying to determine, although not voicing, is whether this person is really unable to work, or is just a malingerer. In this case however the assumption is able until proven unable. So guilty of being a malingerer until you can prove you are actually unable to work.

With this in mind, the key is clear and consistent documentation of missed work days, holidays, personal events, etc,.. Your disability doesn't just keep you from working, but doing many life events. The other is documentation of all you have done and tried to overcome this limitation. All the meds, procedures, alternatives therapies,... You have literally tried everything known to modern medicine with no effect.

Finally, many judges say, well certainly you could do something? This is where you have to show why the symptoms prevent even simple menial work, and the frequency/severity creates such attendance problems that you can't maintain employment.

If the judge sees an apparently competent person standing in front of him, it's hard to buy the argument that anything is wrong with you. Or that if you do get migraines, it is so chronic as to prevent working. These are the two notions you have to dispel.

I know that most of us would give anything to lead a normal life. Some of us have managed to find enough relief to be able to carry on, although at a reduced capacity. Others have not. Disability is a last resort option, but if you are at that point, I wish you luck.

I don't know about USA, but here in Canada they also are interested if there is high cost associated with migraine.If they are, that's good. Everything counts, from a taxi to the ER to a box of Kleenex you need for wiping yourself after throwing upand an ice for your ice bags (compresses) for your head..

Risa

_________________I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.Frank Sinatra